During the first Democratic debate, Americans were introduced to three "new" faces: Martin O'Malley, Lincoln Chafee, and Jim Webb. But there was one candidate absent from the stage – and I'm not talking about Vice President Joe Biden. The missing candidate was Larry Lessig.
Larry who? An acclaimed attorney and Harvard law professor who has written several bestselling books, Lessig entered the race for the democratic nomination in early September after raising over $1 million in campaign donations (Chafee raised only $29,000 in the first half of 2015).
Lessig is running to draw attention to the corrupting power of money in politics. Since last night's debate was hosted in Las Vegas, near a casino owned by Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire backer of republican candidates in years past, it would have been a timely opportunity for Lessig to highlight his signature issue. But he wasn't included.